Power shear



H. E. STOUT POWER SHEAR June 26, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1954 mdl INVENTOR HAROLD E. STOUT ATTO RN EYS H. E. STOUT POWER SHEAR June 26, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1., 195-2 T Q w R 0T s N. m. MM mm 0 4 W 5 m A, Hm 2 9 E. 1; 3 0 5 5 Q2 0 2 a 3 2 v z 2 m 2 0 M v Q T xx 5% G 5 M 0 ATTORNEYS June 26, 1956 H. E. srouT 7 2,751,682

POWER SHEAR Filed March 1, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HAROLD E. STOUT BY ymww ATTORNEYS June 26, 1956 STOUT 2,751,682

POWER SHEAR Filed March 1, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. l4.

f w/ i FIG. l5.

INVENTOR. HAQOLD E. STOUT BY 9470 W ATTO QN EYS United States Patent POWER SHEAR Harold Edgar Stout, West Leesport, Pa., assignor to Textile Trimming & Boarding Machine Co., lne, Reading, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 1, 1954, Serial No. 413,047

8 Claims. (Cl. 30-233) My invention relates to a new and improved power shear.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a power shear which is especially adapted for cutting and shearing fabric.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a simple and effective device which can be manufactured and sold at low cost.

Numerous additional objects and features and advantages of my invention are set forth in the annexed description and drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of my invention with the cover in position; I

Fig. 2 is a vertical and longitudinal section of Fig. 1, partially in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, the cover of the device being shown removed;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line P4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, partially in horizontal section, a part of the representation of the cover being omitted;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7--7 of Fig. 5, the representation of the cover being omitted;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the driving mechanism for oscillating the movable blade;

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of certain of the parts of the device;

Fig. 10 is a rear end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the cutting blades;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a third embodiment of the cutting blades;

Fig. 13 is a detail view, showing a modification of the pivot between the cutting blades;

Fig. 14 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing another embodiment of the cutting blades and the pivot therebetween;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a side elevation showing still another embodiment of the cutting blades constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The drawings are substantially to scale.

The device comprises a casing 1 which has a removable cover or hood 2. This cover or hood 2 has a lateral arched shape.

As shown in Fig. 3, the plate or casing 1 has a similar lateral arched shape. As shown in Fig. 3, the rear vertical wall of the plate or casing 1 is provided with horizontal and longitudinal holes 4. The walls of holes 4 are of smooth cylindrical shape. Fig. 4 shows longitudinal fastening screws 3 which have shanks which extend longitudinally through the smooth holes 4 into engagement with tapped recesses which are provided atthe rear arched wall of the hood or cover 2, in order to releasably fix cover 2 to casing 1. A holding ring 5 is turnably ice connected to the top of casing 1 by means of a longitudinal pivot sleeve 6, which is fixed to the casing 1 by means of a screw 7. As shown in Fig. 2, the front longitudinal wall of hood 2 is provided with narrow bores 8 through which lubricating oil may be introduced into the interior of the hood 2. The shear comprises a fixed blade 9 and a turntable blade 10. As shown in Fig. 7, the fixed blade 9 has an inclined cutting edge 9a and a rear longitudinal shank 9b, which is fixed by means of lateral screws 11 to bracket 12. As shown in Fig. 6, the bracket 12 is of angular shape which is a substantially L-shape. Said bracket 12 has a rear lateral wall or flange to which longitudinal screws 14 are releasably fixed. These screws 14 are clamping screws, which releasably clamp bracket 12 to the vertical wall of casing 1. Brackets 12 and its clamping screws 14 are vertically adjustable in unison so that the vertical relation of bracket 12 to the casing 1 can be adjusted. The rear lateral flange of bracket 12 has vertical side-walls 56, which fit slidably against the vertical walls of the front recess 55 of the plate or casing 1. As shown in Fig. 10, the shanks of the clamping screws 14 fit closely in and are vertically slidable in vertical enlarged slots 15 which are provided in the rear vertical wall of the plate or casing 1. The clamping screws 14 can be loosened in order to raise or lower bracket 12 without removing the cover 2 or said screws 14. The height of the bracket 12 can then be manually adjusted, and the screws 14 can then be tightened to clamping position. Special means are provided for a fine vertical adjustment of the bracket 12 relative to the casing 1 when the clamping screws 14 are loosened. As shown in Fig. 2, these special adjusting means comprise a disc 16 which is turnably mounted in a recess of the vertical wall of casing 1, so that the disc 16 can be turned about a horizontal longitudinal axis. This disc 16 has an eccentric pin 17 which, as shown in Fig. 4, fits and is located in a horizontal and horizontally enlarged slot 18 of the lateral rear wall of the bracket 12. This disc 16 has a rear longitudinal projection 19 which is provided with a groove or recess, by means of which the disc 16 can be manually turned by a screw-driver. The bracket 12 and its fixed blade 9 can therefore be precisely vertically adjusted while clamping screws 14 are loose, in order to allow for wear of the blades and also to cut different thicknesses of the cloth or other material. This can be done while the fixed blade 9 is connected to or disconnected from turnable blade 10. As shown in Fig. 6, the turnable blade 10 is pivotally connected to the fixed blade 9, by means of a pivot 20, which has a smooth cylindrical surface which extends through a smooth bore 24 of blade 10. This pivot pin 20 has a threaded extension 20a, which extends through a bore of the fixed blade 9. A resilient and compressible washer 23, which is made of an oilresistant synthetic rubber or other suitable material, is located between the head 22 of pivot pin 20 and the turnable blade 10. An assembly nut 21 is screwed upon the threaded extension 20a. The resilience of washer or disc 23 makes it possible to maintain the adjacent lateral faces of the blades in tight sliding contact. In order to minimize wear upon the resilient washer 23, it is located between two metal washers 23a which respectively abut the head 22 and the turnable blade 10.

As shown in Fig 9, the turnable blade 10 has a rear extension 10a of reduced height, which is provided with lateral holes 25. This extension 10a provides vertical shoulders at the rear end of blade 10. As shown in Fig. 9, a box or box member 26 is provided. This box 26 has one end-wall, which is fixed to a ball B by means of an intermediate cylindrical shank. This box 26 has four walls, namely, a base-wall 26b, side walls 26a and 260, and a single end-wall. A U-shaped cover member menace 27 is associated with box 26. This cover 27 has a base wall 27b and side walls 27a and 27c.

As shown in Fig. 8, the side walls 26a and 260 are longitudinally directed and they abut the longitudinal walls of the reduced extension a of the turnable blade 10. The single end wall of box 26 then abuts the end Wall of said extension 10a and the edges of side walls 26:: and 260 are then at the shoulders which are provided by the reduced extension 16a. In said assembly, the base-wall 26b abuts the respective face of the reduced extension 10a.

In the assembly, the side wall 270 of cover 27 abuts the side wall 26c of box 26, and side wall 27a of cover 27 is spaced above the side wall 26a of box 26. A longitudinal absorbent strip 28 is held between the spaced side walls 27a and 26a. The base wall 27b abuts the respective face of reduced extension 10a. The absorbent strip 28 overlies a part of the top wall of blade 14), in front of the reduced extension 1011, so that strip 23 is in position to receive lubricant from the respective adjacent opening 3 of cover 2, so that the absorbent strip 28 is kept saturated with lubricant. The base wall or vertical Wall 27b of cover 27, and the base wall or vertical wall 261) of box 26, are clamped to the extension 10 by means of lateral screws, 29, whose threads engage the internal threads of tapped bores which are provided in said walls 27b, 26b and the tapped bores of extension 10a. One longitudinal face of the lubricating strip 28 abuts the face of fixed blade 9 which is adjacent the turnable blade 10, so that a film of lubricant is supplied to said face of fixed blade 9 and to the adjacent face of the turnable blade 10, so that the longitudinal abutting or closely adjacent faces of the blades 9 and 10 are effectively lubricated.

The link L consists of two identical channels 39, whose adjacent vertical edges may be spaced from each other. The adjacent vertical base walls of said channels 30 are provided with recesses which have the shapes of parts of spheres, to provide a turnable assembly between link L and said ball B and another ball Ba. These balls B and Ba interfit with said recesses in the assembly. The channel 30 are held to each other by a fastening member 31, which is shown in Fig. 2. This member 31 is located between the balls B and Ba. The member 31 holds the channels 30 assembled with the balls B and Ba, which can turn freely relative to link L in the respective balland-socket joints.

As shown in Fig. 8, each channel or link-member 30 is recessed at it top, in order to provide link L with a top funnel-shaped opening 32, through which lubricant can be introduced. As also shown in Fig. 8, the spaced channels 30 are shaped to interfit with and to hold an absorbent pad 34, which is kept saturated with lubricant. This lubricant can flow or drip from pad 34 to the ball Ba through the space 33 which is provided in link L below pad 34, so that the upper ball Ba is effectively lubricated. The base walls of the channels 30 are also recessed to interfit with and to hold a vertical absorbent strip 35 which abuts the balls Ba and B. This strip 35 receives lubricant from upper ball Ba and it transmits said lubricant to the lower ball B. The adjacent longitudinal edges of channels 30 may be laterally spaced from each other, as shown for example in Fig. 5, or said edges may abut each other in the assembly. These channels 30 may have planar adjacent vertical faces at balls B and Ba, save where part-spherical recesses are provided to interfit with balls B and Ba, or said adjacent vertical faces of channels 30 at balls B and Ba may have the shapes of parts of cylinders, save where said partspherical recesses are provided. The upper ball Ba is rigid with a longitudinal rigid pin 61 which is fixed to the head of longitudinal shaft 36. As shown in Fig. 8, the center of the ball Ba and the axis of pin 61 are eccentric relative to the longitudinal axis of rotation of the shaft 36, so that the rotation of the shaft 36 moves link L up and down in order to oscillate the turnable blade 10 around its pivot 20. This shaft 36 is provided with conventional anti-friction ball bearings 37. These antifriction ball bearings 37 comprise outer fixed races 37a, which are fixed to the longitudinal sleeve 38, which is integral with the casing I. Said anti-friction ball bearings 37 also comprise the usual inner races 37b which are fixed to the shaft 36. The shaft 36 is located within a spacer sleeve 39 which is clamped to the races 37!), so that the sleeve 39 rotates in unison with the shaft 36 and races 37b.

Conventional front and rear anti-friction bearings 37 are shown in Fig. 2. In this embodiment, said antifriction bearings are ball-bearings. Each bearing 37 has respective races 37a and 37b. The races of each hearing are pro-assembled in the usual manner, so that each bearing 3'7 is a pie-assembled element of the device, in which the respective races 37a and 3712 are held assembled with each other.

The longitudinal and cylindrical shaft 36 has cylindrical enlargements at its front and rear ends, and it also has an enlarged cylindrical head 40 at its front end. Said head 40 is located in the front recess 55 of easing 1.

The front race 37a has an outer longitudinal cylindrical face which abuts the inner cylindrical face of the longitudinal flange of angular sleeve 44. This sleeve 44 may be removable from casing 1 or it may be fixed permanently to casing 1. The rear edge of front race 27a is annular and planar and it abuts the annular planar face of the annular transverse flange of sleeve 44. The front edge of front race 37b is planar and it abuts the rear planar face of head 40. The inner longitudinal cylindrical face of front race 37b abuts the cylindrical face of the front enlargement of shaft 36.

The outer longitudinal cylindrical face of rear race 37a abuts the cylindrical face of a reduced part of sleeve 38. The inner cylindrical longitudinal face of rear race 37b abuts the rear enlargement of shaft 36. The rigid cylindrical spacer sleeve 39 abuts the front and rear enlargements of shaft 36. Said spacer sleeve 39 also abuts the front and rear races 37b.

Shaft 36 has a reduced rear extension which has a forked end 42, which has a transverse slot 43 for engagement with the usual flexible driving shaft which is coupled to driven shaft 36. Said reduced rear extension of shaft 36 has a thread which is engaged by clamping nut 41, which clamps the front and rear races 37b to spacer sleeve 39.

The shaft 36 and spacer sleeve 39 and the front and rear races 37 can thus be clamped to each other externally of easing 1 and its sleeve 38, as a pro-assembled sub-unit, which may include link L and the turnable blade 10.

The sleeve 44 can also be assembled with this sub-unit.

This pre-assernbled sub-unit can he slid rearwardly into position, and the turnable blade 10 can then be pivotally connected to blade 9, and hood 2 can then be fixed to casing 1. The entire subunit can also be removed in an assembled form. Any conventional additional releasable means can be used, if desired, to prevent spacer sleeve 39 from shifting longitudinally relative to casing-sleeve 38.

As shown in Fig. 4, the heads of screws 45 extend over and abut the front face of the longitudinal flange of the angular sleeve or ring 44, and said heads or screws 45 also extend over and abut the front faces of the front races 37a. These heads of screws 45 thus prevent the ring 44 and the sub-unit from shifting forwardly. The shanks of screws 45 engage the internal threads of longitudinal bores or recesses of easing 1.

Also, the flexible driving shaft, not shown, has the usual outer sleeve which fits in insert 46, which is releasably fixed to casing-sleeve 38. This flexible driving shaft has a driving key which fits tightly in slot 43. The fiexible driving shaft is turnable in its outer sleeve, which is clamped in position by clamping screws 47. Also, the

rear bearing 37:: may abut the front edge of insert 46. The races 37a, which may be designated as the sleeveraces, are thus held against turning or' longitudinally shifting relative to casing-sleeve 38, and the races 37b, which may be designed as shaft-races, turn freely in unison with shaft 36. r

The casing sleeve 38 is provided with a ribbed handhold H, which is held in position between insert 36 and the casing 1.

The insert 46 is releasably fixed to casing-sleeve 38 by longitudinal screws 49 which are shown in Fig. 10. A drip pan 50 for holding surplus lubricant has a vertical flange which is fixed to the casing 1 by means of screws 51. This drip pan 50 has vertical flanges which make a snug fit with the hood 2. As shown in Fig. 2, this drip pan has a slot or recess '52, through which the front part of fixed blade 9 extends. The cover 2 has a front longitudinal and vertical slot 53, to permit the oscillating movement of the turnable blade 10. A guide shoe 54 is fixed to the bottom of the front of the fixed blade 9. Various additional holes or cut-outs are shown in the parts, in order to make them lighter.

As previously noted, front vertical recess 55 of easing 1 has parallel and vertical guide walls 56, as shown in Fig. 4, with which the vertical walls of the lateral arm of bracket 12 make accurate sliding contact, in order to guide the vertical adjusting movement of the bracket 12.

Fig. 11 shows a modification, in which the fixed blade 9 is provided with a bottom loop or ring 57, and the movable blade id is provided with a corresponding top loop or ring 58. These metal loops 57 and 58, which may be rigid or resilient, are of sufficient size so that the shearing device can be used for cutting netted fabrics or other fabrics which have large meshes or loops, in order to prevent the blades from catching in said meshes or loops.

In the modification of Fig. 12, the shoe 54 of Fig. 2 is replaced by a ball 59.

In the modification of Fig. 13, the resilient washer 23 and the metal washers 23a are replaced by a single washer 60 which may be made of nylon or other resilient and wear-resistant material. Also in this embodiment, the assembly nut 21 is omitted and the threaded shank 20a of pivot 20 is screwed into a tapped hole of the fixed blade 9.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 14, wherein the fixed and movable blades are designated 9 and 10' respectively. The pivotal connection 20 eliminates the resilient washer described hereinabove, and comprises a flathead screw having its head seated in a countersunk opening formed in the turnable blade 10 and its threaded shankextending through and beyond the fixed blade 9' for engagement with a nut 21. An important feature of this modification is the provision of cutouts or notches 65 and 66 which are respectively ground or otherwise formed in the cutting edges of the blades 9 and 10. The notches 65 and 66 are-arranged to partially register with each other when the blades 9' and 10' are in closed position, as at the end of a cutting stroke, as shown in Fig. and, the disposition of the notches 65 and 66 along the blade cutting edges is just beyond the open blade portions at the beginning of a cutting stroke so that actual severance of the material will not be adversely affected. This notch arrangement and construction has been found highly satisfactory for preventing the movement of fuzz or loose fibers, such as from woolen blankets or the like, into the region of pivot during the cutting operation.

It will also be noted, see Fig. 15, that foot 54 may be detachably secured to the fixed blade 9', as by threaded fasteners 67 and 68. By this construction, the flat foot 54 may be quickly and easily interchangeable with the ball foot 59, or wire loop 57, without removal of the blade 9.

In Fig. 16 is shown another form of the present invention which is particularly well adapted to accommodate, interchangeably a variety of blade attachments. The fixed blade 9 is provided on its working end with a loop 69 detachably connected to the blade by the bracket 70. More particularly, the bracket 70 is rigidly, but removably secured to the blade 9 by the threaded fasteners 71 and 72, and is provided with openings for receiving the opposite ends 73 and 74 of the loop 69. The loop ends 73 and 74 are detachably secured to the bracket 70 by set screws 75 and 76. Thus, the loop 69 may be removed from the bracket 70 and replaced by a different loop or other attachment, as desired, or both the bracket and loop may be removed to permit attachment of the foot 54 or other desired member.

The blade 10' has its working end shaped to receive the opposite ends 77 and 78 of the loop 79, and a set screw is provided to detachably secure the loop 79 to the blade 10.

It will be noted that the blades of the instant device are pivotally connected together without shear therebetween. That is, the blades of the present invention are set so that their cutting edges will not bearingly engage with each other upon pivotal movement thereof, in contradistinction to similar devices, such as hand scissors and hand shears. This absence of bearing pressure between the blade edges has proved to substantially elongate the permissible period of use between sharpenings, and permit operation at extremely high blade speeds, up to 3450 cycles per minute.

Whenever I refer to the casing I, I include any suitable support to which the blades 9 or 9 may be adjustably or non-adjustably fixed.

For convenience, the blades 9 and are each designated as the first blade, and the blades 14) and 1% are each designated as the second blade.

For convenience, the device has been described with reference to the vertical position of the casing or support 1, which is shown in Fig. 2. Of course, the device may be used at any angle. For convenience, the vertical direction is described as the transverse direction in the claims.

There has been described a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is obvious that various changes and omissions and additions may be made without departing from its spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. A shearing device which comprises a first longitudinal blade, a second longitudinal blade pivotally connected to said first blade, a support, a bracket which has a lateral flange, means fixing said first blade to said bracket, said lateral flange being transversely adjustable relative to said support, means fixing said lateral flange in adjusted transverse position to said support, an operating shaft turnably connected to said support, and linkmeans connecting said operating shaft to said second blade, said link-means being adapted and operative to oscillate said second blade around its pivot when said shaft is rotated.

2. A shearing device according to claim 1, in which said bracket has a longitudinal flange to which said first blade is fixed.

3. A shearing device comprising a support, a first blade carried by the support and projecting therefrom, a second blade disposed in side by side relation with the first blade and pivotally connected thereto for oscillatory movement relative thereto, a bracket member, means fixing the first blade to the bracket member, fastening means securing the bracket member to the support for adjustment of the bracket member in a rectilinear path paralleling the plane in which the first blade lies, means for moving said bracket member to selected positions of adjustment in which the bracket member is secured by the fastening means, a rotary operating means carried by the support and means connecting the rotary operating means to the second blade.

4. A shearing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said support includes a flat plate forming a rear wall of a housing which has a removable hood that encloses the bracket member and the connecting means and the pivot connection between the blades.

5. A shearing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said plate has a tubular extension outstanding therefrom in the opposite direction from the blades and said rotary operating means includes a rotary shaft journalled in the extension and extending through the plate for attachment to the connecting means, said tubular extension being externally surfaced to provide a hand hold for the device.

6. A shearing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said fastening means and means for moving the bracket member are accessible externally of the housing.

7. A shearing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said fastening means includes screws and said support having elongated slots in which the screws, when released, are slidable.

'8 8. A shearing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for moving the bracket member includes a disc rotatable in the support and an eccentric pin extending from the disc and fitted in the bracket member and means for rotating the disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 D. 147,416 OBrien Sept. 2, 1947 1,890,355 Bailey Dec. 6, 1932 2,226,241 Gray Dec. 24, 1940 2,273,376 Reynolds Feb. 17, 1942 2,348,876 Beard May 16, 1944 2,621,404 Koons Dec. 16, 1952 2,635,335 James Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 270,135 Great Britain May 5, 1927 

